Teacher Tuesday: teaching letter names of notes on the staff (part 1)

Teaching students the letter names of notes on the staff is an important part of music literacy. I think of letter names and rhythm notation like multiplication facts and sight words for elementary homeroom teachers- they are fundamental skills that students need to practice over and over again. And, like learning times tables, it can be boring. Over the years, though, I've developed a pretty large and varied "bag of tricks" to practice pitch letter names without letting things get too stale. I will be sharing my favorite whole-class activities today, and small group activities (for centers or extra help) next week. All of these can be used for treble or bass clef, and incorporate a wide variety of learning styles.

1. King of the Mountain (aka Around the World)

I've heard this game called both names, but the rules are the same: two students, usually at the end of a row, stand up and try to be the first to identify the pitch that you show them on the staff. Whoever gets it right first moves to stand next to the next student while the loser sits down. The goal is for someone to make it "around the world", or beat every other student, but most of the time I just set a time and when that time is up, whoever beat the most people consecutively wins. You can do this with simple flash cards, but I like to show it up on the screen with this website. It's always better when you can blame the computer for picking the notes!

A few tips, based on my experience: 1) Tell students they can only say one answer. If neither one gets it right, go again, but if you let them give unlimited answers until they get it right, someone will start just saying the alphabet as fast as they can. Trust me. 2) If it's close, call a do-over. This game can get pretty competitive pretty fast! 3) If you see a student giving up too easily, or you know in advance that competition doesn't work well for them, have them be a co-judge with you. They'll still have to figure out the note names but it takes the pressure off of them.

2. Floor Staff Races

I have 5 long lines of tape on my floor. I split the class up into teams, and each team gets in a line behind the bottom line. The first person from each team races to stand on the correct line or space for the letter I call. 

Tips: 1) Make sure the lines are far enough apart for a reasonably-sized shoe to fit in between. You don't want any confusion over whether they were trying to stand on the line or space just because their shoes don't fit. 2) On a related note, tell them in advance that if it's unclear where they're standing you won't count it. They must have both feet centered on the line or space for their answer to count. 

3. Swat the Note

You can do this on a projected image, or with flash cards taped to the wall. Call a letter name and have 2 students race to touch/swat the correct note. You can either have them hit it with their hand or use fly swatters. 

Tips: 1) Fly swatters are fun, but they can also be dangerous and distracting. I've found that, if you spread out the notes enough on the board, it's just as much fun to hit it with your hand and one less hassle to deal with. 2) Tell them they can only swat one note- if they both get it wrong call a do-over but you don't want anyone running up and randomly hitting a bunch of notes hoping to get it right. 

4. Videos

If you haven't seen these already, you are missing out. I tell my students in advance that they are cheesy and that takes care of the kids who try to act like they're "too cool" for it. Seriously though, they do help a lot because they get stuck in your head! These videos are parodies of popular songs to teach the letter names of the treble and bass clefs.

Treble Clef: "I Knew You Were Treble"

Bass Clef: "All About that Bass (Clef)"

5. Xylophone Relay

For this one you need 2-4 xylophones (depending on class size) and flash cards with the notes written on the staff (one set for each group). Divide the class up into equal groups, and have them line up behind a xylophone. The person at the front of each line should have one mallet. Set a stack of flash cards next to each instrument, facing down. When you say go, the first student in each group turns over the flash card and tries to play the correct pitch on the xylophone. If it's correct you say "OK". Once they get the ok, they pass the mallet to the next person and go to the back of the line. The next person turns over the next card. The first team to successfully get through their stack of flash cards wins.

Tips: 1) If you are doing all of the lines and spaces (and no notes outside the staff), try to get your teams as close to 9 each without going over so that each person has one turn. 2) Make sure you are standing where you can see everyone's cards and see what they are playing. The job of judge takes quite a bit of focus on this one!

6. Hand Staff

This is a simple activity but I use it to continue reviewing after we do our "big push" so that students don't forget the letter names. It's also a great tool for students to use independently when they are reading notes on their own. Tell everyone to hold up one hand in front of them, turned to the side. Point to the bottom finger and say the letter names of each line as you point to each finger. Then go back to the space between your two bottom fingers and do the same for the spaces.

I hope you found some new and fun ideas on this list to try in your own classroom- now what are your ideas? Share your favorite whole-class activities in the comments below!

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Mommy Monday: 3 ways IKEA Trones can be your home organization hero

So, a few months ago, I came across these little things called Trones at IKEA:

They are plastic shoe storage cabinets and come in sets of 3, but they are each separate so you can arrange them vertically or horizontally to fit your space. OR so you can use just one at a time instead of all 3 together. Once I saw this thing I immediately thought of this space in my girls' bedroom:

I'm almost too embarrassed to even show you this picture, but there it is- I had been keeping their pajamas in a pile on the floor because I hadn't found a good place to put them! All of their other clothes are in a hallway closet, but since they get ready for bed in their bedroom, I didn't want to put the PJ's in there, and their bedroom is pretty small so I hadn't found an easy place to put them. A little plastic cabinet that easily pulls out and could be wall-mounted sounded perfect! Anything that clears space on the floor or counters is a win for me. 

But wait a minute... what about the other 2? Once I started thinking about ways I could use the 3 cabinets in the set, my mind was spinning. It is quite possible that I will soon be going back for another set, because I have a few other places I would LOVE to put these! But for now, here are the 3 ways I have used the Trones cabinets in my home and fallen in love!

1. Pajamas and books in kid's bedroom

Remember that pile of pajamas?

Here's that space now:

I love that there's a little lip around the top so you can use it as a shelf! It is the perfect height for the girls to reach inside the cabinet, and it's also the perfect spot to keep a few of their favorite potty time books! :) The girls love it too- it's like a magic box. 

2. Toilet paper

So, I was able to solve another never-ending organization dilemma: toilet paper storage! My problem is that most toilet paper storage is too easily accessible for curious little hands, and I wanted to avoid that all-too-familiar scene with 5 rolls of paper stuffed in the toilet and 1 very guilty looking toddler. Until now, I had been keeping extra paper in my storage closet. You can imagine the awkward scenes that sometimes ensued when I was on the toilet without paper in reach, or worse, a guest! Enter the Trones:

Doesn't it just fit right in with the bathroom? And bonus: I am keeping my deodorizing spray on the shelf as well. Inside the cabinet I was able to fit all of my extra toilet paper:

Pretty sure I'm set for a while! *sigh* Isn't it wonderful?!?

3. Fruit basket/bread box/pantry

So this one was a great way to get rid of some random little things that were annoyingly taking up space on my kitchen counters, and put some of the things I use regularly from my pantry (which is around the corner from my kitchen) within reach.

Before, I had my bread and bagels over in the corner of my kitchen counter:

Not only does it take up premium space, but it looks cluttered and messy. Then there was my fruit. I had thought about getting a fruit basket for a while, but the wall-mounted ones were a lot more expensive than I wanted. So my bananas and avocados just rolled around on my kitchen counters too:

Enter my Trones, mounted on the wall next to my command center:

In addition to putting my produce on top and bread inside, I was able to get my potatoes from the pantry and move them in here too. I was a little worried they would be too heavy but so far (a few weeks in) the cabinet seems very secure!

And guys, these things are $39.99 for a set of 3. That's under $14 per cabinet. Not bad, huh? 

Of course I have a lot of ideas for making them pretty, but for now I am enjoying the freedom they have brought to my floors and countertops, and the white blends in so well with my white "rental space" walls that I may leave them plain for a while. I still hear choir angels since every time I catch sight of them! 

How would you use a Tronet cabinet in your house? Have you used one already? Leave a comment!

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Teacher Tuesday: Color-Coding Revisited

Back in August I shared my new color-coding system for my classroom, and it turned out to be a popular topic. If you're new to these parts, you can catch up on the topic here:

Today I want to give you an update on how the system has been working, and how I have expanded the system further since my last post on the topic.

First of all, the duct tape on the floor:

The tape has held up really well. I was worried that the students would constantly be picking at it when they were sitting at the circle spots, but after the first couple of weeks they have mostly left it alone. I had to replace 1 circle spot but all the rest of the lines and spots are still the same ones from the summer. Having the colors for their seating has been incredibly helpful! It is so easy to be able to call students by color group when we are transitioning, or point out groups that are doing well as positive reinforcement. Having the circle spots makes it much easier to form a circle for dances and games much more quickly, and having the colors gives them just enough choice on where to sit without allowing too much room for disagreements. I LOVE it.

Then, of course, there is the behavior management board aspect:

The behavior management aspect of the system has been expanded quite a bit so I will come back to that, but suffice it to say that it has been going well. The students even help keep me accountable when I forget to move the minion magnet (to indicate line leaders) and are always keeping track of which team is winning in points!

The instrument color-coding had mixed results for me:

Having the xylophones color coded has been great. It makes it much easier and faster to go to instruments when the students have limited options, and the students are much more accepting of the idea that they will be sharing an instrument with their classmates when I explain that it is their "team instrument" (who woulda thunk?). However, color coding the mallets did NOT work for me. First of all, passing out mallets took longer, not less time, because I had to hunt to find the right color. Second, the tape would not stay on! I had the washi tape on the top of the rubber handles, and they just kept sliding off. It was a good idea but not worth it for me in the end. 

The writing supplies have been another huge WIN:

I don't have students turn in work by teams normally, because that just adds more time to clean up and grading, but on the rare occasion  that they are in the middle of a writing activity and need to save it for the next class period, I have them put their papers in the color coded folders. That way they can get their own papers again without me having to pass them out again, which saves us time.

Ah, the pencils. One of the BEST THINGS EVER to come from this system! I am happy to report that I have not lost a single pencil since the start of the school year. I can't even believe it. The difference is incredible. Last year I went through boxes and boxes of pencils because they just kept disappearing. This year I have only had to stop and look for a stray pencil a couple of times, and I have always been able to catch it before the class leaves because I can quickly count up each team's pencils. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! The students have been much more careful with the erasers on the pencils too, because they know that they are going to be the ones using those same pencils again next time.

OK, so that's my update on how things have been working for me. Now let's talk about the expansion of my color coding kingdom!

This is the bulletin board (a work in progress) that the art teacher put up in the front lobby of our school. That's right folks, the color coding has left the music room and spread across the entire school! We have had a very difficult school year with behavior issues as a school, and the principal came to the staff around October asking for ideas to combat the lack of motivation among the students and staff. This was mine. Basically we took the color teams in my room and implemented it school-wide in a PBIS (positive behavioral interventions and support), Harry Potter-style house system. Let me try to briefly describe what we have done so far (and we already have plans to expand this for next school year after seeing the positive results!):

• We made little tickets that say "house point" on them and put them in the hands of every single adult in the building. Adults can give tickets to students for positive behavior using whatever scale or system they see fit, and each homeroom has a folder where the students deposit tickets for their color team. Each week those point are tallied in each homeroom and the school-wide totals are posted on this board. At the end of the month, the team with the most points wins a prize (ice cream in the cafeteria, hat day etc).
• We have started having assemblies once a month as sort of "pep rallies". We do some games, some contests where they can win points as a team, and at the end we announce last month's winners. The art teacher ran a contest to design a mascot for each team, and I had the students write chants/cheers for their teams, so now we use those in our assemblies as well (the mascots are going to be added to the board once we get those copied). 
• We are doing some special events where students can earn tickets for their team by participating, like "role model day", when they dress up as their role model, or "timely ticket", when everyone who is in their seat on time gets a ticket (we've struggled with tardiness). 
• Future plans include using the color teams for field day, electing house captains in student government fashion, and meeting by teams for team-building activities and bringing in guest presenters to talk about different careers etc.

This system has been a huge success school-wide. Students are much more motivated, and they cheer on their teammates when they do well. It also helps us as adults focus on more of the positive behaviors as well, and it has improved the relationships between the students and the adults too I think.

I hope this update was helpful for you- have you used a color-coding system in your classroom? Has your school ever tried a house system for behavior management? Share your experiences and ideas in the comments!

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Mommy Monday: 3 steps for organizing new toys

Well, we've successfully survived the entire holiday season, and even made it through (for most of us) the first week back in school- for your kids and/or for you as a teacher! After that big push of madness fun, I'm now entering the hangover stage: you know, that moment when you look around at all the new presents that are sitting haphazardly in a corner because you have no place to put them, the Christmas decorations still up, and the mountain of cardboard boxes and wrapping paper that needs to be recycled and you know you have to deal with it but it's just so cold outside and you're so tired and... hmmm maybe a cup of hot chocolate first? For me I have an added bonus: my girls turned 3 last Tuesday. Yep, they have an early January birthday, which means double the festivities, double the presents, double the fun, and double the chaos.

So today I wanted to share some of the things I am doing to take the first step towards normalcy: getting all the new toys under control!

1. Out With the Old

I think we've all heard this one by now but it bears repeating: if you haven't already purged old toys and playthings before the holidays, now is the time to do so. I had a hard time getting rid of as much stuff as I needed to before the holidays, because the girls still get out (and enjoy) all of the toys they have from time to time. I got rid of some stuff, but I knew it wasn't enough. After seeing the girls playing with their new, age-appropriate (or slightly beyond their years) toys though, it's become a little bit easier to get rid of the stuff they got 2 years ago. As much as they enjoy them, they don't stimulate their curiosity or teach them new skills like the new ones do.

I throw everything into trash bags and take them to the local Salvation Army or Goodwill store. I used to try to sell things, either on Craigslist or at a resale store, but I've come to realize that it's not worth the time or the energy to get that little bit of money back in my pockets. Plus, since I don't have time to do a lot of community service, I like the idea that I'm donating to a good cause. Whatever you do, just get the stuff out of your house!

2. Consolidate

Have you noticed that a lot of toys and playthings are bigger than they need to be in their original storage? The girls got several new games this year, and they each came in a big box. While some thing don't waste any space in their boxes, a lot of them did. The card matching game I took out of the box and put it into a plastic baggie. So that I wouldn't completely lose the cute cover on the box (which the girls liked), I cut out part of the front (just enough to fit inside the box) and threw away the rest.

The blocks game was simple. Since it only had 7 pieces and they were each big enough to not worry about getting lost from each other, I just stuck them in one of the (newly emptied) bins in the girls' toy storage, along with the ziploc bag of cards, and got rid of the box altogether. So much smaller, and a lot easier for the girls to access themselves too!

3. In With the New

Now that you have some empty storage space left by the removal of old toys and you've consolidated everything to be as streamlined as possible, it's time to put everything away. Before sticking everything into the empty spots, though, I like to take stock of what I have where and see if there are better ways I could be storing and organizing them. Sometimes things that made sense a year ago don't make sense any more, now that the kids are taller and more independent, and the types of toys they have are changing.

I had, for example, been storing the play dough with the art supplies, but I realized that they don't really use the play dough with markers or paper. They use it with the kitchen toys like the rolling pin and the knives. So I moved the play dough over to a box near the kitchen supplies, and now it makes a lot more sense!

You may also be able to adjust the categories you use for storing toys- I got rid of some old puzzles but got several board games, which we haven't had before, so maybe the couple of puzzles I kept should be stored with the board games in a category of "games"? I'm still figuring that one out, but it's good to be thinking about which storage systems work and what is outdated.

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